Most present day remote control systems for marine engines employ push-pull cables to control the throttle actuator which governs the speed of travel of the boat; and the shift actuator, which determines the direction of rotation of the engine propeller shaft, or its neutral position. As is quite well known, push-pull cable systems often require complex installation procedures and are maintained with considerable difficulty.
Other remote control systems for marine engines employ gear mechanisms, linkages, cams, and the like, all of which add to the cost of the systems as well as to their complexity.
The present invention requires no push-pull cables, gear mechanisms, linkage structures or cams, and employs rotatable flexible shafts which rotate in response to rotation of hand-controlled knobs located at the boat's helm. Flexible shaft rotary motion is converted to linear motion for control of the engine's speed and direction of rotation of its propeller shaft.